Growing up, I was never allowed to fiddle with the radio in the car. I listened to whatever my folks were listening to and that was that. I knew kids who would get in the car and change the music, turn it up, and I was a little jealous. In retrospect, I realize that I received a huge musical education in those car trips that I wouldn’t trade for a pile of gold. Seriously!

I believe I first heard of Loretta Lynn when watching Coal Miner’s Daughter, the film based upon her life starring Sissy Spacek. She grew up dirt poor and skyrocketed to fame with an amazing voice and moving storytelling in her songs. She was a strong woman and sang about issues that real, working women dealt and still deal with such as cheating men, being a single mother, birth control, and divorce, among other themes.

Let's be real: Valentine's Day is not necessarily a happy day for everyone. In the accurate words of Sir Elton John, "Sad songs say so much," so I thought I would round up some of the sadder songs of longing and unrequited love, maybe with a bit of twang, even, in protest of all the lovey-dovey crud that Hallmark foists upon us at this time of year.